I have two posts worth of things to write so I will share half of that today. . If you read my last post you will see the book that was randomly picked for me to begin 2025 is called Dear Friend, You Must change your Life by Ada Bronowski.
It is comprised of 20 essays beginning with quite philosophical information from before Christ all the way up to Essay 20 that discusses the authors ideas.
Ada Bronowski 1927 – 2007 was a dancer and choreographer. He is also described as a humanist and a Renaissance man, the author of a novel (Mathilde or Lost Time 1963) about a love triangle between Richard Wagner and a married woman, the poet Mathilde Wesebdock1828-1902. What this has to do with philosophy I am not sure.
I have studied the first five essays and I am going to briefly report on them but then I am moving this book along as I have had enough. I have read a great deal of Buddhism in my younger life and much of the philosophy of the known greats of Greek and Roman times is not that different.
No 1
EPICURUS TO MENOECEUS 341- 270 BC
The main point here is about being in the present moment. BE PRESENT he says. If it is not happening at the time, let it go. The Dalai Lama always said, “Don’t play those movies in your head.” when worrying about future events.
He also believed good friends were extremely important. He put them at the very top of what he thought and taught. He didn’t believe in an afterlife so people had better stay in the moment, be mindful and spend time with those who matter.
I could go on and on but you get it.
SENECA’S FIRST LETTER TO LUCILIUS
Seneca speaks of time being the most important thing. We should not waste it as it is finite.
“Time is our most precious possession as we are the sole masters and commanders. It is of this good that we make the most liberal use; for we waste it without thinking, as if we had an endless supply.”
Seneca and a respected politician of the time, Lucilius, have many discussions. Seneca is also a Stoic and he also believes we forget to pay attention to our own existence.
He goes on to tell Lucilius there are many moments of time that we lose due to work or family that is not ours. We lose it through things we have to do but he believes more is lost just through our carelessness.
I suppose that is a topic we could talk about for a very long time.
MARCUS AURELIUS TO FRONTO
I enjoyed this chapter very much. Marcus Aurelius was a student of Fronto. He was aged 19, Fronto was in his upper 30s. Fronto was a highly respected teacher of rhetoric and an orator. He believed communication of one’s beliefs was imperative. He didn’t dabble in philosophy. Aurelius was a very disengaged student, didn’t complete his assignments, was undisciplined.
Their letters continued over 30 years.
Aurelius was then introduced to Aristos who studied philosophy. Instead of completing his assignments for Fronto he switched over to following Aristos. However, after a period of time and some years, he decided he was not on the right path and returned to Fronto. Aurelius writes to Fronto:
“ Aristo, his works are undoubtedly doing me good right now, but at the same time, they make me feel bad. For when they teach me about how to be better, they are undoubtedly doing me good, but when they also show me how much my own abilities lag behind compared to these elevated ideas, them your student often blushes so deeply and gets enraged with himself. “
He knew he was letting himself down and returns to Fronto to continue the basic education he feels he is lacking.
Essay four was about Kronos, a god from a different age, the Golden Age, before the world became dominated by Zeus and the other gods of Olympus.
A great deal of discussion ensued about the differences between the rich and the poor and how unfair life is and why should it be so. A lot of it sounded like communism and is compared positively to it.
Essay Five depicts the letters between Descartes and Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, 1600s.
“In the end we leave it all behind” There is a discussion about various passions. Descarte talks about passions of the mind and how that can be more long lasting than following those who preach virtue and go against virtue. Physical passions may cause happiness but it is not as long lasting as passions the mind pursues. Freedom of will is important. To be able to follow what we want to do, to pursue our passions but in many instances that is not possible.
I saw a short video of Meryl Streep talking about Afghanistan and the women controlled by the Taliban.
She said squirrels have more rights than women as they can play in a park. Birds can sing in public but women can’t. It is so sad.
Well this has been long and not the kind of post I generally put up but I thought I had to at least tell you I dived into this book.
Another problem with this book is the print is very tiny and I am struggling to read it. Along with quite a bit of repetitive content, I have skimmed through the rest, this book will now be released into the wild. Yes, a DNF, but I got the meaning out of it. The five essays were enough and I am anxious to randomly select my next book by Book Buddy.
To summarise- stay present, enjoy friends, practise virtue, don’t waste time, learn new things, go to the park, sing with the birds.
Travellin' Penguin 